Shadow the Hedgehog is one thing of a cult favorite amongst Sonic followers, so it’s no shock that Sonic X Shadow Generations has loads of hype behind it.
Moderately than merely remastering 2011’s Sonic Generations and releasing it on fashionable codecs, Sonic Staff has determined so as to add a completely new part to the sport starring Shadow.
It’s related in nature to the Bowser’s Fury part that was added to the Change port of Tremendous Mario 3D World, in that it affords a considerably totally different expertise to the ‘primary’ recreation.
It’s a choice that’s obtained the Sonic neighborhood excited, as was made clear by the large response once we uploaded some Sonic X Shadow Generations gameplay footage to our YouTube channel.
After going hands-on with the sport at Summer time Sport Fest, we then sat down with Sonic Staff head Takashi Iizuka to debate the modifications made for this new model, in addition to the present standing of the Sonic franchise normally.
Sega has declared this the Yr of Shadow. Clearly you will have a film and merchandise deliberate, however what can we count on within the recreation area?
So far as video games are involved, Sonic X Shadow Generations is the large recreation, and we’ve numerous nice content material in that recreation associated to him.
However outdoors of the console area, we do have cell video games that may have Shadow content material, and the closed beta for Sonic Rumble which simply occurred.
You got here up with the character initially. What do you suppose makes him so common, 20 years later?
Sonic is a very cool character who individuals love, however what makes Shadow distinctive and interesting is that he’s this darkish hero.
Whereas Sonic is at all times going to be a hero doing that heroic factor, Shadow is just a little bit extra sophisticated and on that edge the place he might find yourself doing one thing that not makes him a hero.
It’s that distinction that’s an excellent juxtaposition but in addition makes him a very cool character.
Shadow can have a starring function within the Sonic 3 film out later this 12 months. You’ve not formally introduced who’s voicing him, however might you inform us what qualities you regarded for whenever you forged that function?
Shadow is in Sonic 3 and after I labored with the film group to verify the characters had been portrayed appropriately, what I wished to deal with was the persona and angle of Shadow.
Even when we’re transferring into a special medium, I wished to be sure that Shadow felt actually true to the character. In order a personality advisor on the films, I did need to work with the creators to be sure that Shadow nonetheless felt like Shadow within the film.
Will we see Shadow choose up his gun once more, or is {that a} interval of historical past you’re not eager to revisit?
Yeah, within the video games Shadow did use a gun. However once we discuss Shadow, he would use no matter he wanted within the second to get the job finished. So he would choose up a gun or experience a motorcycle with a purpose to get the job finished – he’s that sort of character.
However he’s additionally extraordinarily highly effective on his personal and doesn’t actually need a gun or something as a result of he can do it himself – he’s a weapon. So so long as there’s no want for Shadow to make use of a gun, he’ll most likely not use one.
“He’s additionally extraordinarily highly effective on his personal and doesn’t actually need a gun or something as a result of he can do it himself – he’s a weapon. So so long as there’s no want for Shadow to make use of a gun, he’ll most likely not use one.”
Does he want a gun in Sonic X Shadow Generations?
No. (Laughs)
Is dedicating a 12 months of content material to a single character one thing that’s a particular case for Shadow, or would you think about doing it for different characters in future reminiscent of Knuckles or Silver?
Nicely truly 2024 can be the thirtieth anniversary of Knuckles, so it’s also sort of the 12 months of Knuckles as effectively! We did have the Knuckles TV present on Paramount Plus which obtained to have a good time that.
We did need to choose a personality that might get followers excited, in order that’s why we picked Shadow [this year]. However no matter we will use to get followers excited sooner or later, we positively need to have a look at.
What are you able to inform us concerning the growth group behind Sonic X Shadow Generations? Who’s engaged on the sport?
This recreation is developed in Japan by Sonic Staff. The director of this recreation is definitely Mr Shigihara who was a designer on the unique Generations recreation. We do have loads of different workers engaged on the brand new recreation who labored on the unique.
Your teaser artwork options loads of reference to Chaos, the colorful creatures from the traditional Sonic Journey video games. This has led to hypothesis you would be reviving the Chao Gardens mini-game…
Thanks for bringing this up, as a result of it’s one thing we would like correctly communicated in order that there’s no confusion! There isn’t a Chao Backyard in Sonic X Shadow Generations.
There are Chao that seem on the important thing visible and artwork work, and the reason being as a result of there’s a Chao Rescue gameplay function. For many who performed Sonic Generations already, there may be further gameplay via this function. However simply to be clear, there’s no Chao Backyard on this recreation.
Followers clearly need to see that return, primarily based on the response to that artwork. Would you think about bringing it again sooner or later?
At a while, sure, as a result of we hear the identical factor. Everyone needs it!
Did you think about bringing the Sonic Generations unique ranges to this model?
No, there’s no 3DS model gameplay on this model: it’s primarily based on the console model.
However again within the day, the one Nintendo platform which had Generations was 3DS, so that is going to be the primary time Nintendo customers will get to expertise this sort of gameplay, as a result of it was solely on Xbox 360 and PS3.
We seen within the demo that the 2 video games – Sonic Generations and Shadow Generations – are handled like separate video games. Does that imply we must always count on an identical quantity of content material from Shadow?
For Sonic Generations, the story is that everybody obtained sucked into The White Area, and there you went again via the historical past of the Sonic franchise. Shadow Generations is going on in parallel to this story, with Shadow additionally sucked into The White Area and revisiting the well-known locations from his previous.
The distinction is that, in Sonic Generations the hub world is 2D sidescrolling, whereas in Shadow the group created an Open Zone hub world like in Sonic Frontiers, the place you possibly can run round and do what you need.
So though you discuss Sonic and Shadow Generations being totally different video games, all of them feed into the identical story and there are loads of similarities throughout the recreation format. It ought to hopefully really feel like a really related expertise and pleasurable playthrough.
Why did you determine to make use of the Sonic Frontiers model gameplay for Shadow’s hub?
For 3D Sonic video games, the design was fairly linear, which is what we wished to alter with Sonic Frontiers. This new expertise grew to become the Open Zone format, which individuals actually preferred.
So once we had been trying again at what individuals preferred about Shadow’s video games previously, we wished to use that Open Zone format someplace within the recreation so as to add one thing more moderen to the expertise.
It’s been a number of years since Frontiers was launched. Ought to we see the inclusion of Open Zone gameplay right here as proof that you just’re fairly happy with how that went?
A while has handed and I believe the large feeling is that the Open Zone format was profitable in doing what we wished to do, which was to deliver one thing new to the desk.
We noticed that lots of people who left Sonic video games got here again, as a result of they thought the model of gameplay was attention-grabbing. And likewise, individuals who wouldn’t normally be interested by Sonic video games additionally reacted positively to the format.
So I really feel actually glad that the group determined to problem themselves with the Open Zone format and I imagine it was actually profitable, as a result of we see numerous individuals reacting positively to the format.
So sooner or later, I would love the group to really feel proud about what they made and go and make some extra Open Zone format video games.
The degrees within the authentic Generations had been chosen partly through a fan vote primarily based on their reputation. How did you go about selecting Shadow’s ranges for this recreation?
After we had been fascinated by the Sonic Generations format for Shadow, we knew we’d must relive the historical past of the character and present the moments that had been actually necessary for him.
In doing so, the event group checked out what video games had been common and which phases had been common inside these.
“Sooner or later, I would love the group to really feel proud about what they made and go and make some extra Open Zone format video games.”
Up to now, you’ve talked loads about having totally different pillars of Sonic video games which attraction to totally different audiences, reminiscent of 3D video games like Frontiers and 2D video games like Mania. May remasters of traditional video games now provide one other pillar alongside these? It appear you will have many 3D titles to revisit.
After we suppose the breakdown of how the pillars work, we take into consideration the gameplay. So the 3D Sonic gameplay is one pillar that we need to maintain, however we additionally realise that there are lots of people preferring the 2D gameplay. So we’re fascinated by the pillars when it comes to gameplay experiences.
We do have video games like Sonic Colours and Sonic X Shadow Generations that match that 3D mannequin, after which 2D video games like Sonic Origins Plus, that are additionally remakes.
We do have a wealthy historical past of video games which I believe we’ll need to deliver again and remaster sooner or later, however we don’t have something to announce or discuss in the meanwhile.
It was actually nice to see Oshima-san return to the Sonic sequence with Superstars final 12 months. Was {that a} one off, or would you prefer to collaborate with him once more in future?
It was actually enjoyable to work with Oshima-san on a recreation. It was a very long time since we final labored collectively, so it felt very nostalgic. We’d been away from one another for therefore lengthy, however then every little thing labored prefer it used to.
I had a blast working with him making the sport, and I believe Arzest did a fantastic job executing on reaccreting that traditional Sonic recreation from scratch.
Personally, it was a lot enjoyable, I’ve a fantastic relationship with Oshima-san, and I hope we will carry that into the longer term and possibly work on one thing else sooner or later.
You’ve had a Sonic recreation at each Summer time Sport Fest previously three years; Frontiers, Superstars, and now Sonic X Shadow Generations. What’s the key to sustaining such a prolific manufacturing run?
Sport growth is nothing prefer it was. It takes a lot time these days – Sonic Frontiers, for instance, took 5 years to develop. I believe again within the day, some video games took lower than a 12 months!
What I consistently fascinated by is planting seeds and ensuring that every one of these seeds are getting planted, and there’s sufficient of them.
You then want to attend for video games to get developed and be sure you get that cadence down of getting them prepared for market, due to all of the prep work you must put in three or 5 years prematurely.
How far sooner or later do you must plan? Are you aware which Sonic video games are popping out in ten years?
Ten years is just a little too lengthy! I’ve been doing this for 30 years, so I actually need to be sure that we’ve one thing for the followers and that years don’t go by the place they don’t have Sonic merchandise.
We need to be sure that they’re pleased and that requires loads of onerous work and communication internally, ensuring we’re ready, and that I’m fascinated by the numerous futures. After 30 years of expertise, it simply comes naturally!